Replacing old vehicles

The government has rightly withdrawn old vehicles, especially passenger vehicles, from the street relieving the city dwellers from air pollution.

But it should have been followed by replacement with new vehicles--either by BRTC or by letting businessmen import vehicles from abroad. The policy makers in the government now move faster with their cars along the streets having an impression of throughout change.

I would humbly request them to think for a moment of those general people who don't own a car or any other vehicle but have to solely depend on public transport, scarcity of which is causing them immeasurable sufferings.

Farhad Ahmed Khan

East Shewra Para, Dhaka

"Plastic cases not firearms"

The arrest of the importers of the plastic cases is needless harassment by the police. There is nothing illegal in importing or owning plastic gun carriers for licensed firearms. It is also the right of every law-abiding citizen to own firearms.

Rather than cracking down on illegal weapons, the customs and police waste their time in such pursuits.

MA

Dhaka

White paper: lucky we are!

We thank BNP for publishing a white paper on corruption committed by the Awami League leaders during their tenure in government. We will thank AL if it now publish a white paper on corruption committed by the BNP leaders during its previous tenure in government, though the publication will be extremely belated. It's better late than never. The AL has no right to deprive the people of this country from the right of having information. Mere filing cases in the court of law against the corrupt people is not enough.

Taking action against corruption or any other crime committed by political people is not a political vengeance, not at all, as the vociferous political leaders want to make us believe so.

The clamour AL made during the publication of the white paper has considerably been able to distract public attention from that paper. It is a good strategy. Hope BNP has learnt it and will apply the lesson when the party will be in the opposition in future. Or does BNP think as AL used to think while in power, that it would stay in power forever?

The people of this region have a long history of being exploited and being suppressed. The only difference is our own political leaders are

playing the role of the colonial masters now. People are now lucky enough that they have, at least, started to know, through white paper, the extension of the exploitation they are being subjected to in their own independent country.

Faruque Hasan

Dhanmandi, Dhaka

An unwise and unpopular decision

It is unfortunate that as per our present Constitution the President hardly enjoys any authority unlike the President of Pakistan and India. Even then the President of the country is the last hope of the nation in many respects during the national crises particularly the political ones when the whole nation helplessly looks forward to him for the recovery.

It was expected that the BNP Government would elect a neutral personality for the position, but to our utter frustration they have elected a party member. BNP should have learnt their lessons from the recent past. Had the President of the country been a party member of Awami League other than Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed the fate of BNP and that of the nation would have been different.

May we hope that in the greater interest of the Nation BNP would revise their decision and re-elect a neutral person as the Head of

Indian Muslims are target of Draconian Laws

The BJP-led coalition is converting India into a police state in which legislation bypasses Parliament and targets ordinary citizens especially minorities.

Using the September 11 attacks in America as an excuse in October 2001, POTO-I, was passed by Ordinance. Its predecessor, TADA was passed in 1987 due to the Punjab crisis controversial.

Controversy ensued on POTO. POTO-I was not approved by Parliament. In January 2002, POTO-II surfaced again by Ordinance along with three minor changes. But, the story does not end there. Now, we have the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, 1999, (MACOCA) which has been extended to Delhi.

POTO-I, POTO-II and the MACOCA have all been enacted or extended without reference to the Legislature.

So, after POTO-II we now have MACOCA. There are extended provisions for phone tapping by the Superintendent of Police (Section 14-16). `Big Brother' has arrived in the form of the Delhi Police. MACOCA signals the death of civil liberties in every conceivable sense to allow the police to go on a rampage while limiting and tying down the powers of the courts to provide relief and effective oversight. .

The offence provisions are too harsh. Pre-trial custody could extend to 180 days. Denial of bail is inevitable. The admissibility of confessions to the police is an invitation to brutality. Virtually anyone and everyone fall within the definition of a 'terrorist' or 'organised criminal'.

Once trapped under these statutes, a person stands to forfeit several years of his life and his properties even if eventually proven innocent. As it is, the SIMI ban in Gujarat has led to arbitrary arrests. SIMI like Muslim groups will be specially targeted.

Using the excuses of the Afghan war, the global anti-terrorism mood and the attack on Parliament, the BJP-led national coalition is converting India into a police state in which legislation bypasses Parliament and targets ordinary citizens with arbitrary police action for the rest of the duration of this Government.

Ravi Krishna

Manama, Bahrain

State? It is also high time to empower the President in line with the President of India as he is the last hope for the nation.

A.B.M. Zakaria

Dhaka

Politicians should learn from the West?

Mr. Akbar Hossain's view on the subject is very superficial and lacks any insight in the historical process necessary for social development.

Yes, the third world countries have to learn science, technology and management from the advanced capitalist countries, but not morality, social value, and politics from the West. The Western politicians are no less corrupt than their counterpart in the third world countries. Only difference is that the Western politicians are smarter in beating their own system and covering up their misdeeds and deceiving their own people, and, to a large extent, rest of the world.

The main problems of the third world countries are due to poverty and lack of education for which the West is partly to be blamed. For example, in the 18th century Bengal had reasonably well up economy. It was no historical coincidence that the vanquished British General Lord Cornwalis who signed the surrender treaty with the Americans in 1776 was sent Bengal as the Governor General, soon after his return to

England. In 18th cencuty Bengal was one of the most rewarding British occupation. Lord Cornwallis plundered Bengal with his "permanent settlement" policy and thereby, breaking the backbone of peasantry of Bengal.

The inherent causes of poverty and absence of socio-political integrity in our society can be traced in the colonial occupation by the West and West's domination in the contemporary world. I would request Mr. Akbar to read the history of human civilisation thoroughly and try to understand the causes of lopsided global development instead lecturing third world politicians to learn politics from the west.

We have to find our own solutions for our own socio-political problems.

Amitava Rahman

USA

Israel enters South

Asia at India's

expense

The basis of the new Indo-Israeli friendly relationship is their common hatred towards Muslims.

The other attractions are Jewish State's access to big Indian market and India's purchase of military equipment or know-how from Israel on mutually beneficial terms.

New Delhi has taken a dramatic risk to loose its Arab friends by

making a common cause with their number one enemy- an expansionist Israel. The blossoming new "equation'' between New Delhi and the Jerusalem establishment will also give perceptions of similarities between the Kashmir issue and the Palestinian question.

Within the larger Islamic bloc of nations, Iran is already reported to have voiced concern over Israel's new "activities'' in India.

The Vajpayee administration must not succumb to the temptation of Israel's military hardware at the risk of loosing sweet Arab oil.

In laying out the red carpet for Mr. Peres at the time when Israel is mercilessly killing Palestinians, the Indian officialdom has resented the Arab world.

While the BJP led establishment may be inclined to dismiss such concerns, India can ill-afford to strain its ties with the Muslim bloc for economic compulsions.

An oil embargo with the lethal combination of cutting off trade ties and expulsion of Indian manpower from Gulf States will totally crumble Indian economy.

The teams being sent to Muslim capitals will not offset the damage. India needs to show sincerity rather relying on diplomatic tricks.

Mohsin Meer

Lahore, Pakistan